Archive for Thankful Recipes

During this holiday season, our TEAMTRI family is looking forward to connecting with friends, family and loved ones to enjoy the season. To celebrate this time of year, we’ve asked some of our teammates to share their favorite holiday recipes and for whom they are thankful. Enjoy this final installment of our multi-part series and feel free to share these recipes with your own loved ones!

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

These two recipe traditions come from our Mom’s. When Ryan and Carrie first got married they each got to learn and enjoy each other’s family traditions. Carrie’s Mom always make’s her famous Breakfast Casserole for Holidays like the morning after Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Ryan who is known to be an aspiring but not very talented chef wanted to contribute something from his family and went for a sure and simple win…Champaign and Peaches. Whenever Breakfast Casserole and Champaign and Peaches are served…our families all remember happy memories we’ve made together and know that we’re about to make some more!

Process: Cook sweet potatoes until soft in a microwave, by boiling, or by baking at 375 dgrees for up to one hour. Combine syrup, sour cream, chipotle puree, cinnamon and salt ina small bowl. Whisk until smooth. After potatoes are cooked ans soft, remove the peel and pass through a potato ricer, food mill or potato masher. Blend in other ingredients with a rubber spatula to combine. Taste for seasoning and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Serve immediately.

This recipe came to me when I worked for First Lady Laura Bush. My office was right next to Mrs. Bush’s office in the East Wing and I learned a lot from her about hospitality, service, love for your country and how much the details really matter. Mrs. Bush and I enjoyed many things in common especially our fondness for sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. Every time I have sweet potatoes whether this recipe or any others, I think about this wonderful woman who wasn’t just a boss or a First Lady…but…really had the job of First Volunteer for our nation and who always placed her husband, daughters, and family first and has served as a role model for me in raising my own girls. I’m truly thankful for Mrs. Bush’s friendship and servant leadership.

Melt butter. Add pretzels and sugar. Mix well. Spread in 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 10 mins at 350 degrees. Let it cool. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and pre-thawed cool whip. Spread on top of pretzels. Let set up in fridge for at least 1 hour. Mix jello in water. Cool. Add raspberries to jello. Pour on top of cream cheese mixture. Let set up in fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

This is the best Jello meal in the WHOLE world! It is so good that I rather have this meal than cookies or cake. However, mommy told us that it is only okay to eat this meal around holidays. I never understood why this was a thing, but we only eat this for holidays! My husband also loves this Jello recipe. He has only had it once (Thanksgiving last year) and he has talked about it at least twice a month since. Although I know I could easily make this meal any day of the week, it is special to eat this meal only around the holidays! What also makes this Jello recipe so special is the title. It is called a salad…but let me tell you, it is the sweetest salad I have ever had! My family and I love that we eat this as salad around the holidays and there is still desert!

Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and milk together. Stir in few drops of additional milk, if necessary, until smooth and of desired consistency. Or heat ½ cup Betty Crocker Creamy Deluxe vanilla ready to spread frosting and 2 teaspoons water in 1 quart saucepan over medium heat until smooth and of desired consistency.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

Growing up as a kid this was one of my favorite dishes. Whenever we had a church potluck or school event that we had to bring a dish for I always begged my Mom to make this. I can still remember making it with her! I loved it when she let me put the spoonful’s of cherries on. This dish reminds me of my Mom and how selfless she is.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add to margarine, eggs, nuts and one cup mashed bananas. Lori’s tip: I use all of the mashed banana and add about a tablespoon of water. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Makes one regular size loaf.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

This recipe comes from Lori Pankratz. Lori was my first officer coordinator as a student CTSO officer when she was a young alumnus herself. She helped me grow into a leader. Then, 25 years ago she helped me found a company whose purpose was to grow leaders. Lori got this recipe from her Mom that got it from a cookbook gift from when she got married some 60 years ago. Lori would make this and send it to me when I was first starting out in Grandma’s Garage to encourage me and remind me that careful ingredients and love make great things like Banana Bread or leaders.

# # # # #

Teammate: Dawne Schmidt

TEAMTRI Title: Association Services Manager

Thankful Recipe: STARLIGHT SURPRISE COOKIES

Submitted by Dawne Schmidt as passed down from my mother, Wilma Thompson. This has been a favorite holiday cookie for many decades in my family!

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

No matter how many other things my mom had to get done around the holidays, she always found time to make these cookies for us! It was her very special gift to all of us! We thought it was such a fun treat because we would take the walnut off of the top and eat around the outside of the cookie trying to save the hidden chocolate mint wafer in the middle for last!

During this holiday season, our TEAMTRI family is looking forward to connecting with friends, family and loved ones to enjoy the season. To celebrate this time of year, we’ve asked some of our teammates to share their favorite holiday recipes and for whom they are thankful. Enjoy this multi-part series and feel free to share these recipes with your own loved ones!

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

We always used to travel to Montana to spend Thanksgiving with family. We would drive over on Wednesday morning, and then wake excitedly at our cousin’s house Thursday morning to the smell of my mom’s cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. She made them every year for us to eat on Thanksgiving morning, and now I make them every year for my kids as well. This recipe reminds me of my family!

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

I grew up in a very large family, so holidays have always been less about the food, and more about the company! A typical Thanksgiving for myself consists of 4-5 different meals in different locations. Throughout my childhood, our last stop was always a large hall with my father’s extended family. This dinner was always one where everyone was welcome, and each family member typically invited a few people who they knew were alone over the holiday. Because every year this group was drastically different, the dishes were also always different, and the dish I shared is a random recipe that I found online, because you never know what you would get when you showed up to this dinner (and that was the best part!)

# # # # #

Teammate: Danielle Tolentino Tuason

TEAMTRI Title: Associate Vice President of Training and Leadership Innovations

Boil the beef in a pot with water, salt and pepper until tender.
You can use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time. In a deep pan, heat oil and saute garlic and onion. Put the boiled beef and include about 1 to 1 & ½ cups of the broth. Then add the bananas and potatoes, cover and simmer at least 5 minutes. Then add the tomato sauce and cover again an simmer or a few minutes. Add the garbonzo beans and let it cook for a while then follow the cabbage. Season with salt, pepper and sugar according to your preferred taste. Serve hot and with steamed rice!

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

This dish was always prepared by my beloved grandmother “Grandma Inay”. I love this delicious Filipino dish and remember the day when I was able to watch her cook it. She never used exact measurements…she just instinctly knew what to do. And she added extra cabbage for me because that’s the way I like it! Cooking was one of the ways she shared her love with us.

# # # # #

Teammate: Chris Tuason

TEAMTRI Title: Director of Technology

Thankful Recipe: Potato Dinner Rolls

Persimmon Bread
Use very soft, ripe, heart-shaped Hachiya persimmons rather than the smaller, firmer Fuyu variety. If you can’t find Hachiyas, substitute 1 cup of canned pumpkin. Stir any leftover purée into yogurt for a sweet breakfast.

Scoop persimmon flesh from skins into a blender. Purée until smooth. Transfer 1 cup purée to a medium bowl (reserve any remaining purée for another use). Whisk in buttermilk and orange zest. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until mixture is well combined. Gradually add persimmon mixture; beat until well combined. Add dry ingredients in 3 batches, beating just until incorporated. Fold in strained raisins.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

We purchased our first home together at the end of September 2016. Our home is filled with about 12 fruit trees, we believe the previous owner was a farmer. One of the trees that produces a large amount of fruits is the hachiya persimmon. We had so many of them, we did not know what to do with them.

After some research, we decided to make persimmon bread for the holidays. It was an instant hit and we made it for all of our family holiday gatherings.

For me, the dish is special because it reminds when we first moved into the house and our first Tuason family holiday celebration!

During this holiday season, our TEAMTRI family is looking forward to connecting with friends, family and loved ones to enjoy the season. To celebrate this time of year, we’ve asked some of our teammates to share their favorite holiday recipes and for whom they are thankful. Enjoy this multi-part series and feel free to share these recipes with your own loved ones!

1. Pick through your cranberries and discard those that are not ripe. Wash in cold water.

2. In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring water, sugar, orange zest, and salt to boil. Stir occasionally while the sugar dissolves.

3. Add washed cranberries to pan, return the mixture to a boil over medium burner for 5 minutes, without stirring.

4. Reduce to medium/low heat and simmer until about two-thirds of berries have popped open and sauce thickens, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove from heat and place in serving bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. You can make cranberry sauce up to 7 days ahead; but be sure to allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving..

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

This recipe is actually from Cooks Illustrated, a publication that my Aunt and dad bond over every year we are together. It is several years old, so I remember it as ours because of all of the years we have been making it. Last year, my dad, sister, and I traveled around the New England area for seven days looking at all of the beautiful leaves that were changing colors. We stopped by an organic cranberry farm to participate in U-pick in rural Maine. There was no one there but the couple who owned the farm.

They were both doctors from the Boston area that bought the cranberry farm 20 years earlier and now they spend every October-November picking their crop. They were nice enough to stop everything they were doing to give us a tour of their entire operation. Everything was organic, still picked by machinery from the early 1900’s, and was cared for with love.

Our family was so impressed by their kindness that we tried to buy an entire case of cranberries, but they didn’t have enough inventory. Instead we sent them a box of fruit once we got back to Atlanta. Now we always remember this amazing couple and write to them whenever we are all together.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

These are my mom’s famous dinner rolls! These were always the last thing she would bake for Thanskgiving dinner so that they would be nice and warm and yummy for dinner. Everyone always requests my mom’s famous rolls and they get devoured! They are also perfect for making turkey sandwiches with the leftovers.

Combine last 6 ingredients then stir in the hashbrowns. Pour into a 9×13 buttered pan. Cover with 2 cups crushed cornflakes, then drizzle with 1 stick melted butter

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

My grandmother always made this dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas and we always looked forward to it. I got the recipe from her in my early 20’s. When my husband and I starting sharing family holidays while dating (in my mid 20’s), I discovered that his mom makes this dish also. I knew it was meant to be 🙂

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

Granny would make these for every big family holiday meal. Regardless of what else was on the table, ham for Christmas and Easter or turkey for Thanksgiving, these rolls were what everyone wanted first. There were never any left at the end of the meal and they are so good! This recipe always makes me feel thankful for my family.

During this holiday season, our TEAMTRI family is looking forward to connecting with friends, family and loved ones to enjoy the season. To celebrate this time of year, we’ve asked some of our teammates to share their favorite holiday recipes and for whom they are thankful. Enjoy this multi-part series and feel free to share these recipes with your own loved ones!

2. While filled crust is cooling, place hot milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla and the chocolate chips in blender or food processor; cover and blend on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Refrigerate about 1 hour 30 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened but not set. Gently stir; pour over cooled filling in pie crust. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.

3. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in chilled small bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe over filling. Garnish with chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

My granddad from Texas always sends each of us 10 pounds…yes 10 pounds of Pecans each year. So they are alway plentiful. My mom has made this pie every year for as long as I can remember and I now make it every year two since I got married 15 years ago. As a kid I always opted for pumpkin pie with about a gallon of whip cream on top. Now I love this rich and delicious chocolate pecan pie. I think recipes have a way of connecting generations and bringing back memories of days gone by.

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powered sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Put a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir frequently until smooth.

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.r pipe over filling. Garnish with chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

What are your memories that make you thankful for this dish? Who does this recipe make you thankful for?

This is a Thanksgiving staple at my house. Buckeye trees are common in the Midwest and the state next door even named their sports teams after them. These are easy to make, amazingly yummy and welcome at every feast.

This recipe makes me thankful for my younger sister, Tina. She is very thoughtful and makes these every year because I love them, but she also jumps in to help with lots of things in my crazy busy life. When I travel, Aunt Tina is on stand by. I couldn’t do what I do without my holidays obsessed sissy.